The American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an expansion of the longtime relationship between the Center and American Ballet Theatre. The school, which opened in September 2015, combines the resources of American Ballet Theatre, America’s National Ballet Company®, and Segerstrom Center, one of the world’s leading presenters of dance. It offers unrivaled opportunities for training and nurturing future generations of dancers and dance audiences as well as furthering the development and evolution of dance. Following American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum, students are encouraged to reach their highest potential while building a safe and solid foundation in ballet technique. The school carries the name of Orange County philanthropist William J. Gillespie, who was a board member of ABT since 1999 and an enthusiastic and generous donor to the Center for much of the institution’s history.

The ABT Gillespie School provides students with the highest quality of classical ballet training through the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum. The ABT Gillespie School is modeled after the program used at the renowned ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York. Classes include classical ballet technique, pointe, men’s class, partnering, character, modern, body conditioning and more.  All classes are held in the Center's studios that have been used for rehearsals by the world’s leading international dance and ballet companies. The dance studios feature professional sprung floors, full length mirrors, ballet barres and modern technology (surround sound systems, virtual class equipment). Each class features live accompaniment by one of the ABT Gillespie School's accomplished pianists.